North Shore Mosquito Control and EEE: The $3 Million Illness

Fifty percent of those stricken with Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) will not survive the illness. Of all the mosquito-borne diseases, it is EEE that is the most deadly in the United States. Unfortunately, those who do recover have another 50% chance of suffering long-term neurological damage. On average, for those individuals, the lifetime cost of treatment is estimated at $3 million dollars in medical care per patient.

First discovered in 1933, EEE has been steadily growing over the recent decades. Once it is detected in a town, community, or region it is there to stay and migrates outwards to the surrounding countryside. Of note, Massachusetts is second in the nation for the highest number of cases reported, according to the Massachusetts Department of Health. Scientists have speculated as to whether the warming trend over the past few years has contributed to the continued expansion of territories contracting the disease. Mosquitoes hibernating through the winters may also be a contributing factor.

EEE is a disease that involves a complex exchange from bird, to mosquito, to bird, to mosquito to human to pass along the infection. As its name suggests, the rare disease is most commonly found in horses (equines), for which, thankfully, there is a vaccine. For humans, the other hand, there currently is no vaccine for EEE. The best advised course of action is prevention and recognizing the symptoms.

As a variant of encephalitis, EEE, has some telltale symptoms. These usually occur within 3 – 15 days of being bitten by an infected mosquito. Severe and sudden onset headache (from the brain swelling), nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, and disorientation. Seek immediate medical attention.

Prevention becomes your most important form of protection against EEE and other mosquito-contracted illnesses, including West Nile. North Shore mosquito control includes community misting in public spaces, mosquito abatement through larvicide application, and private home and business treatment plans. The CDC strongly recommends staying indoors during typical mosquito feeding times: dusk to dawn.

Mosquito Squad of the North Shore offers an effective barrier treatment program that treats the entire perimeter of your property. This method eliminates 85% – 90% of mosquitoes and adult ticks from your landscape. Applied every three weeks, this proven solution offers you the opportunity to enjoy your yard all season long. With our 100% money-back guarantee, our professionally-trained technicians take protecting your family personally. That is why so many of our customers come back to us year, after year, after year.

Remember, the most effective form of protection from EEE is preventing bites from infected mosquitoes. To learn more about our amazing misting systems, seasonal barrier sprays, or optimal tick tubes (to destroy nymph ticks before they emerge), contact Mosquito Squad of the North Shore.